Ecolab Inc. vs Intel Corp — how do they compare? Ecolab Inc. trades at $273.56 (market cap $76.06B), while Intel Corp trades at $98.53 (market cap $517.63B). The key difference: Intel Corp is far larger — about 6.8× Ecolab Inc.'s market cap, and Intel Corp pays the higher dividend (2.24%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ECL | INTC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $76.06B | $517.63B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Technology |
52-Week High | $308.35 | $140.94 |
52-Week Low | $245.73 | $19.31 |
Enterprise Value | $84.81B | $529.87B |
Dividend Yield | 1.08% | 2.24% |
Volume | — | 43,552,012 |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ECL trades at $269.75, down 0.77% on the day, with a bearish technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals with 2025 revenue of $16.08B and net income of $2.08B, though recent quarterly EPS results have been mixed. The company recently completed the $4.75B CoolIT acquisition to strengthen its AI cooling portfolio, positioning high-tech as a growth engine. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with a $327.43 price target, representing 21% upside potential from current levels.
The outlook is positive given strong analyst support and strategic acquisitions, but risks include execution of the CoolIT integration, rising cost pressures, and mixed quarterly earnings performance. The stock's premium valuation (P/E 36.57) requires sustained earnings growth to justify current levels, making upcoming Q2 2026 results on July 28 critical for near-term direction.
Intel (INTC) trades at $107.76, up 4.5% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong recent earnings beats. The company reported a net loss of -$267M for 2025, resulting in negative profit margins and ROE, while valuation ratios like a P/E of 904 appear extremely elevated. Positive sentiment is driven by news of progress with ASML's next-generation chipmaking technology and Jim Cramer's endorsement, with earnings due July 23.
The outlook is mixed: strategic manufacturing progress and AI ambitions offer long-term opportunity, but near-term fundamentals are weak with negative profitability. Key risks include intense semiconductor competition and execution on the capital-intensive foundry transition. Analyst consensus is a 'Hold' with a $107.55 price target, indicating the stock is fairly valued at current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Ecolab produces and markets cleaning and sanitation products for the hospitality, healthcare, and industrial markets. The firm is the global market share leader in this category with a wide array of products and services, including dish and laundry washing systems, pest control, and infection control products. The company has a strong hold on the U.S. market and is looking to increase its profitability abroad. Additionally, Ecolab serves customers in water, manufacturing, and life sciences end markets, selling customized solutions.
Read more on ECL →Intel Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells computer components and related products. The Company major products include microprocessors, chipsets, embedded processors and microcontrollers, flash memory, graphic, network and communication, systems management software, conferencing, and digital imaging products.
Read more on INTC →